In vehicles equipped with an automatic clutch or a clutch controlled by an actuator device, the internal combustion engine for safety reasons may only be started if predetermined conditions are fulfilled. For example, the transmission must be in a neutral gear and/or the clutch must be disengaged. In addition, it may be required that the vehicle brake be actuated. In automatic transmissions, the enabling of the starter is typically linked to the selection lever being in the position N or P. The aforementioned measures ensure that the vehicle is not unintentionally set in motion when the internal combustion engine is started.
In order to enable the vehicle to be towed or pushed in any case when there is an error or a failure in the electronic controller of the actuation system for an automatic clutch, so-called emergency disengagement devices that may be activated by a person operating the vehicle are known in order to disengage the clutch and thereby also be able then to push or tow the vehicle if a gear is engaged in the transmission.
A problem of vehicles having an automatic or automated drive train may result from the fact that when there is an error in the clutch/transmission control or actuation device, the condition for enabling of the starter is no longer satisfied, so that the internal combustion engine cannot be started in order, for example, to be able to operate the heater or the air conditioner or also the alternator in case the vehicle breaks down.